In his words, it took less than a day to climb up the volcano and descend from its peak. “I would like to note that we climbed the volcano without the required acclimatization in the depths of winter,” Sergei Varivoda said. The team climbed up the edge of the western slope of Sairecabur. The average slope gradient there reaches 45°, and hard snow and clear ice make the way even more difficult.
At the peak of Sairecabur the alpinists mounted the national flag of Belarus and the banners of the sponsors of the expedition, the BelTA news agency, Belavia and Belteleradiocompany.
During the descent from the peak two expedition participants came down with acute mountain sickness. It usually takes from six to eight days to ascend to the height of more than 6,000m (Sairecabur is 6,024m in height). The reason for the illness is a dramatic drop in atmospheric pressure (down 60-65%), which leads to acute hypoxia and mountain sickness if the ascent is speedy. The expedition participants are set to return home on 20 July.
